Civil War container !!

[mart]

https://www.kovels.com/forums/question/civil-war-container-need-help-identifying-this-please.html

Anyone have an idea what this container was used for ??  Has the U.S. in oval embossed in both sides !! Will try to find out what the size is !!

[greenacres]

For some reason I'm thinking and I'm guessing it was for coals for a fire. Hot coals.

[mart]

Could be Greenacres !!  Thats a  better guess than any I have come up with !!

[KC]

Pretty sure this is an ammo box.  My source for confirming this (my nephew) is in the large group of US Military that you saw just arrived in Poland recently...so, don't have him for expertise for awhile! 

[cogar]

Now I can't think of any reason for there to be both a "carrying" handle and a "pouring" handle on a small tin case or container unless it was used to transport a "pourable" item.

[mart]

That handle is what I do not get and if you notice,, it is small compared to that sheet of notebook paper !!

[KC]

I wonder if the large handle is original?  It would take a "hands-on" to possible tell this.

[cogar]

KC, I think you are correct. The style of that handle doesn't match the style of the metal box.

[greenacres]

https://goo.gl/images/i82Abl
This looks like a similar example. A coal scuttle.

[mart]

But this one is 6 in. X 5 in. X 1 1/2 in. !! 

[greenacres]

I was thinking maybe they varied in size and shape.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I showed this to my fiance who has been doing Civil War reenacting all his adult life. He says he believes that it is a meat ration can, but we're going to check with another source.

[talesofthesevenseas]

It looks like you may have something very special. Here is the reply from our second source, another long time reenactor with a lifetime of studying this era under his belt:

"Oh my god.  The Army came out with an experimental combination  meat ration can and coffee tin cup in the 1870s.  Imagine drinking coffee out of a bacon grease-soaked tin cup.  It was a prototype that the troops hated and was short-lived.  I'll get more details when I get home tomorrow."

[mart]

Well,, that is certainly  interesting !!  Hopefully this will be a good find for the person who posted it !!  Anxious to hear the results  !!

[KC]

Just heard that they also made some interesting pieces for shaving/holding shaving supplies.  The handle would make sense for that as well!